I sold the DX100 because I wanted more portability. To be honest I was extremely happy with its sound. The UI was for the most part easy to use and in quite a few ways even superior to the AK100. If you are mainly concerned with sound I'd say the DX100 is the best option still. But if you also want portability and better battery life the RWA AK100 is a good option (not the AK100 for sensitive IEMs due to the 22 ohms impedance). Still I'm on the fence on whether or not I'm gonna keep it. I'm still burning it in yet so I'm not 100% decided.... Pretty much I wanted this player to be a clear upgrade over the Studio V in terms of sound quality and I honestly don't feel it is.....

Yeah, I read a less than enthusiastic review of the AK100 on Headfonia. Plus the DX has all the features I want (gapless, ALAC , Sabre DAC). I can live with the size because it's still easier than a combo of D3 and E17 with the extra cable.

Yeah, I read a less than enthusiastic review of the AK100 on Headfonia. Plus the DX has all the features I want (gapless, ALAC , Sabre DAC). I can live with the size because it's still easier than a combo of D3 and E17 with the extra cable.

Well if you don't mind the size and shorter battery life then I say it's a very good option. I'm hoping they'll make a DX50 someday that is smaller and has better battery life for IEMs. I'd surely jump on that lol :).

Well if you don't mind the size and shorter battery life then I say it's a very good option. I'm hoping they'll make a DX50 someday that is smaller and has better battery life for IEMs. I'd surely jump on that lol :).

I know it's a lot thicker than an iPod Classic, but it's not that much bigger when looking at the screen side. I think a DX50 that's smaller will likely have a less than adequate amplifier, so probably won't sound as good.

Thanks for your advice. As you understand, it's quite a significant investment for me.

but you are going to use an amp anyway with the dx 100, the size would probably be the same in the end

Depends. The AK100 with a Pico Slim will still feel more compact than the DX100 alone, whilst the AK100 with an RX Mk3 would then have about the same length as the DX100 but a weird step component stack.

A few posts ago, I put the AK100 with the Ortofon MHd-Q7 - square cube shape.

I know it's a lot thicker than an iPod Classic, but it's not that much bigger when looking at the screen side. I think a DX50 that's smaller will likely have a less than adequate amplifier, so probably won't sound as good.

Thanks for your advice. As you understand, it's quite a significant investment for me.

Not necessarily. It really depends, more power doesn't always mean better. That is not the case at all although the DX100 possess both great power and control with both Sensitive IEMs and power hungry headphones.

Yes I did prefer to use the DX100 with the T1 amp because it made the sound better. Not that it was a requirement but it sounded so damn good I couldn't help myself :P.

i think headfonias main review guy (mike) is okay with the dx 100, at the very least he like it more than the ak 100

"

The sound of the Sabre powered DX100 is a a good all rounder. It’s fast and dynamic yet still works well for slower songs. The sound is relatively clean, the separation good. The treble is lively yet safe, the bass is good both in punch and control. The midrange is clear, and though not its strong points, it’s also something I really won’t complain about.

"

and

"

The Altmann Tera, being superior with its black background,also can’t match the much better PRaT of the DX100, and this would be a bigger deciding factor for the majority of people these days, rather than things like micro-detail retrieval or soundstage ambiance.

"

i see no complaints like the disappointment he get with the ak 100, infact i think he actually likes the dx 100

i think headfonias main review guy (mike) is okay with the dx 100, at the very least he like it more than the ak 100

"

The sound of the Sabre powered DX100 is a a good all rounder. It’s fast and dynamic yet still works well for slower songs. The sound is relatively clean, the separation good. The treble is lively yet safe, the bass is good both in punch and control. The midrange is clear, and though not its strong points, it’s also something I really won’t complain about.

"

and

"

The Altmann Tera, being superior with its black background,also can’t match the much better PRaT of the DX100, and this would be a bigger deciding factor for the majority of people these days, rather than things like micro-detail retrieval or soundstage ambiance.

"

i see no complaints like the disappointment he get with the ak 100, infact i think he actually likes the dx 100

Well also when he heard the DX100 it was on an older firmware. Completely different beasts now my friend. If I was to do a blind test of the latest firmware from the very first firmware or even any of the other firmwares I can pick them out easily. Just give me specific tracks and I could do it blind. 1.1.7 and 1.2.7 made the DX100 worth owning for sure. 1.2.3 made it sound like **** ;).

If I were to rank on SQ alone for each device/rig I had owned previously when driving armature iems, it will be (in descending order):

DX100: 9.5/10

RWAK100: 9.5/10

Whipmod + Pico Slim: 8.5/10

Teclast T51: 7/10

iPod + CLAS + Pico Slim: 7/10

Studio V: 5/10

Sony X1061: 4/10

***Note: The SQ ranking above is based on an imaginary composite function that takes into consideration not only the highly subjective element (my own personal preference as a result of the sound signature presented to me due to not only the player but also the pairing with the iems I was using) but also technicalities. For instance, I personally prefers the sound of the RWAK100 and the Whipmod + Pico Slim rig over the DX100 but I will have to give due credit for the technical prowess of the DX100.

However, when it comes to how much I actually end up using it as a portable player on the road (the desire to bring it out of my home and also to take it out from my bag and use it), it will be (in descending order):

1) RWAK100 (100%)

2) Teclast T51 (80%)

3) Whipmod + Pico Slim (80%)

4) Sony X1061 (80%)

5) Studio V (10%)

6) DX100 (5%)

7) iPod + CLAS + Pico Slim (5%)

As this thread is on the AK100 (which I believe there are many more AK100 users than the RWAK100 users out there), an in-depth comparison would be helpful for any attempt to port over the impressions of the AK100 onto the RWAK100. Otherwise, it might be safe to separate the two as of now.

Mike did mentioned that he was impressed with the pairing of the AK100 with the LCD2 but criticised the AK100 otherwise for sounding cold and lacking dynamics. I am not sure if he will call anything with a relatively flat output response to be cold sounding (since nothing is being exaggerated). If anything, the RWAK100 is one of the most dynamic sounding DAP I have heard. Perhaps the pairing of the AK100 with the phones he used were poor due to the high output impedance.

Agree! On my 2012 summer vacation, I listened to DARK SIDE OF THE MOON only for nearly 2 weeks on an IPOD classic unamped with the IE80 I own for such occasions and sports. The gapless option and the long battery time are hard to beat sometimes, aren't they?

Mike did mentioned that he was impressed with the pairing of the AK100 with the LCD2 but criticised the AK100 otherwise for sounding cold and lacking dynamics. I am not sure if he will call anything with a relatively flat output response to be cold sounding (since nothing is being exaggerated). If anything, the RWAK100 is one of the most dynamic sounding DAP I have heard. Perhaps the pairing of the AK100 with the phones he used were poor due to the high output impedance.

Interesting. I wondered something similar. When I first tried out my ak100, I thought that it sounded cold with my gr10s, but then I remembered that they sound that way on my hifiman 602 and sansa clip too. All my devices sound more dynamic when i listen to them using hifiman 262. Similarly, my koss porta pro has good bass and mids but otherwise murky, same on all my devices. So far, i haven't found my unmodded ak100 to have changed the sound profile of any of my headphones. In general, they have the same sound to them, but it is clearer and less distorted, more detail and bigger soundstage on the grado and hifiman headphones.

I sold the DX100 because I wanted more portability. To be honest I was extremely happy with its sound. The UI was for the most part easy to use and in quite a few ways even superior to the AK100. If you are mainly concerned with sound I'd say the DX100 is the best option still. But if you also want portability and better battery life the RWA AK100 is a good option (not the AK100 for sensitive IEMs due to the 22 ohms impedance). Still I'm on the fence on whether or not I'm gonna keep it. I'm still burning it in yet so I'm not 100% decided.... Pretty much I wanted this player to be a clear upgrade over the Studio V in terms of sound quality and I honestly don't feel it is.....

Can you briefly tell us how good is the AK100 against Hisound RoCoo-P, Hifiman 601 & Colorfly C3 in term of sound stage, separation & clearity?

I don't know about the Rocoo P or C3. But I feel the RWA AK100 (not AK100) is superior to the Rocoo BA. But not the Studio V 3rd ANV IMO. At least that is with my current gear. Now with other IEMs and heaphones an RWA AK100 may be a better choice overall as it would offer more flexibility due to its sound signature. The RWA AK100 is also superior to the 601 in terms of detail and separation and a black background/micro-detailing.